Circuit-controller.



W. A. ATWOOD. GIRGUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 16, 1909. 973,6 1 3. Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. A. ATWOOD. CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1909. v973,61 3. Patented ont. 25, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vTo all whom 'it may concern:

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

'WINFIELD A. ATWOOD, OF SCHENEC'IADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

i CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification cf Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Application led February 18, 1909. Serial No. 478,251.

Be it known that I,W11\IFIELD A. A'rwoon a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county ofk Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controllers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switches for controlling electric circuits andmorev particularly to disconnecting switches of the 'type in which twoadjacent terminals are bridged by a fuse mounted on a movable memberwhich carries it into and out of engagement with the two circuitterminals. In some devices of this type which have heretofore been used,the fuse was mounted in clips on a movable switch member pivoted to oneof the circuit terminals and moved about its pivot to carry one end ofthe fuse into and out of engagement with the other terminal. The fusewasA commonly of the expulsion type, consisting of a comparatively longinsulating tube closed at one end by means of a strong metallicexplosion chamber and having a stri of fusible metal strung through thetu e to complete the circuit between the explosion chamber and a contactring which was mounted near the other end of the tube to coperate withcontact clips on one of the circuit terminals, while the explosionchamber of the expulsion fuse was .engaged by contact clips which werealways in electrical connection with the terminal on which the movablemember was pivoted. As a result of this construction, the eXplos'ionchamber of the fuse was always alive evenv after the fuse had blown andthe fuse had to be removed from the switch member by means of a longwooden pole having on one end a clamping device for gripping the fuseand 'thereby enabling the operator to remove and replace the fuse withsafety. The handling of a heavy fuse of the expulsion type by means of along pole was at- .tended with considerable difficulty and the object ofmy invention is to provide a simple and convenient switch in which. theoperator can, without danger, take hold of the fuse to remove or replaceit.

In carrying out my invention, a movable insulating member is provided tocarry the fuse into and out of engagement with the circuit terminals andthe fuse is suspended from the support to swing like a pendulum inalinement with the two terminals. When the circuit is opened the movablemember swings away from both terminals into circuit opening position,and the fuse swings freely out of contact with either terminal. Themovable member is so mounted that when it reaches circuit openingposition,the fuse is carried to such a distance from the terminals thatthe operator can handle it without getting into dangerous proximity tothe terminals. The fuse may be suspended from the movable support invarious ways, butin the preferred construction it is provided withpivots or trunnions, which tit into ".forks mounted on the movableinsulating member and shaped to permit the fuse to be removed andreplaced with ease. After the fusible strip in the fuse has beenremoved'and the jfuse has been hung on the support, the operator uses along pole to move the support to circuit closing position, whereupon thefuse swings into engagement with both the circuit terminals and thecircuit is completed.

My invention will best be understood in connection with the accompanyindrawings, which illustrate one of the orms in which my invention may beembodied and in which- Figure l is a side view of a disconnecting switchembodying my invention; Fig. 2 a plan view of the switch shown in Fig.l; and Fig. 3 a view of the switch shown in Fig. l when it is open.

In the specific form of device shown in the drawings, convenience inoperation is secured and the lateral width of the device is reduced to aminimum by mounting the circuit terminals in vertical alinement With'each other on a panel or switchboard l, of any suitable material such asslate or marble, by means of insulators 2 and 3 of any suitable type. Tothe upper insulator 2 is secured a xed circuit terminal 4 provided withcontact clips 5 and holding clips 6, both of which engage a suitablefuse, preferably of the expulsion type, as shown in the drawing, andcomprising a contact sleeve 7 which fits snugly between the contactclips 5 and holding clips 6 and is mounted on the upper end of aninsulating tube 8, through which a fusible strip 9 is strung vto connectthe sleeve 7 with a metallic eX- and fits between Contact clips 12mounted on and forming part of a movable terminal 13, which in thespecific form shown in the drawings, is mounted on a pivot 14 supportedby a terminal plate 15, which is provided with an extension 16 forcarrying a spring sto or buffer 17 to limit the movement of t e movableterminal 13 about its pivot. In the specific construction shown in thedrawings, the movable terminal 13 forms part of a movable switch membercomprising two metallic sockets 18 mounted on and movable with themovable terminal 13 and carrying insulating rods 19,'` which are joinedat their upper ends by means of a yoke or insulating support 20.Although the yoke or support is preferably made of metal it constitutesan insulating support for the fuse, because it is carried upon theinsulating` rods 19 which are of such a length that when the switch isopen, as shown in Fig. 3, the yoke or support 20 is so far'from both thefixed terminal 4 and the movable terminal 13 that the operator can placehis hands on it with safety. The movable switch member is swung aboutthe pivot 14 in any suitable manner, but in the preferred construction,the yoke or suppprt is provided with a hook 21 for enabling the operatorto swing the movableswitch member into and out of circuit closingAposition by means of a long wooden poleor similar operating device.

If an overload occurs uponthe circuit and the fusible strip 9 is melted,the fuse must be removed from the movable switch member and a new stripplaced in position i and in order to facilitate this operation the fuseis suspended from the insulatin support 2O inany suitable manner so that1t will swing'freely in alinement with the contact clips 5 and 12 and ispreferably suspended in such a manner that it may be easily detachedfrom the insulating support 20 by the operator. Various means may beused for detachably suspending the fuse on the insulating support 20,but in the preferred construction, the support is provided with forks22, which have openings 23 in one side and the fuse is provided near itsupper end with trunnions 24, which easily slip through the openings 23,and when in position in the forks 22, as shown in Fig.3, suspend thefuse on the insulatin support 20, and act as pivots about whic the fusecan swing freely. As is apparent from Fig. 3, the fuse can be easilyremoved from the insulating support 2O by lift-ing it Ito carry thetrunnions out through the openings 23, and since all parts of the fuseare at a safe distance from both the terminals of the circuit when themovable member is in the circuit opening position shown in Fig. 3, theoperator can take hold of the fuse with his hands and thereby easilyremove it from If an overload occurs while thedevice is in circuitclosing position, as shown in Fig. 1, the fusible strip 9 melts andopens the circuit. In order to replace the fuse the operator inserts inthe hook a hook which is mounted on the end of a long wooden pole andthen pulls, thereby swinging the movable switch member about its pivotinto t-he position shown in Fig. 3 where the switch member is stopped bythe buifer or spring 17. If the weight of the explosion chamber is notgreat enough to cause the explosion chamber to swin out of t-he clips 12into the position shown 1n Fig. 3, the operator inserts the hook on theend of the w'ooden operating rod inthe ring 11, and by a slight movementreleases the explosion chamber 10 from clip12, whereupon the fuse swingsinto ,the vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3. The explosion chamber10 is thus carried to such a distance from the Alower circuit ter minalthat the operator can take hold of it with safety and can then easilylift the fuse out of the forks 22 by passing the trunnions 24 throughthe openings 23. The fusible support or fuse 9 is then replaced with oneend secured to the sleeve 7 and the other to the explosion chamber 10,and the fuse is suspended on the insulating support 20 by passing thetrunnions 24 down through the openings 23, into the forks 22, whereuponthe fuse hangs in the position shown in Fig. 3, and swings about itspivots in alinement with the terminals 5 and 12. The operator can placethe fuse in this position byvhand because the insulating rods 19 aresuiiiciently long and of the proper material to thoroughly protect himfrom the potential of the lower terminal 13.. The operator then Y placesa hook on the end of the wooden operating rod in the hook 21 and vswingsthe movable switch member counterclockwise about its pivot into circuitclosing position. As the sleeve 7 on the upper endcof the fuse engagesthe contact clips 5, the resistance offered by the clips to furthermovement of the sleeve tends to swing the low'er end of the fuse and theexplosion chamber 10 into engagement with the contact slips 12. Shortlybefore the insulating support 2O reaches the position shown in Fig. 1,both the sleeve 7 and the explosion chamber 10 are in engagement withthe ends of the contact clips 5 and 12 and further movement of theinsulating support toward the circuit closing position forces both thesleeve 7 and the explosion chamber 10 between their respective contactclips, hence by the time the insulating support reaches the circuitclosing posit-ion, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, inwhich both the sleeve 7 and explosion chamber 10 are in electricalengagement with their contact clips and the circuit is completed throughthe fuse 9. It' for any reason the explosion chamber does not go intolace'in the contact clips 12 it can be force into position by insertingthe hook on the wooden pole in the ring 11 and then pushing theexplosion. chamber into the clips. Since the operator has been abletohandle the fuse with his hands during the most difficult part of itsmanipulation the operation of removing and replacing it can be carriedout with great ease and in a very short space of time.

My invention may be embodied in various other forms than that disclosedabove and I therefore do not wish to restrict myself to the precisearrangement disclosed, but aim in the appended claims to cover allmodications which are within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is,-

1. In a controller Jfor an electric circuit, the combination with twoadjacent circuit terminals, of a protective device itor openingthepcircuit in response to abnormal current, an insulating support forsaid protective device mounted to carry said protective device into andout of circuit with both of said terminals, and means for securing saiddevice on said support to move into and out of engagement with one ofsaid terminals.

2. In a controller for an electric circuit, the combination with twoadjacent contact terminals, of a fuse arranged to cooperate with both ofsaid terminals to connect them and thereby close the circuit, a movable'insulating fuse support arranged to carry said fuse into and out ofengagement with both of said contacts, and means for movably mountingsaid fuse on said support to permit it to move relatively to saidsupport and in alincment with said'terminals.

3. In a controller for an electric circuit, the combination withrelatively movable adjacent contacts, of an insulating support mountedon and movable with one of said contacts, and a fuse pivotallyymountedon said support to swing iii alinement with said contacts to bring itsends into engagement with both said contacts.

4. In a circuit controller, the combination with a xed terminal and amovable terminal mounted adjacent thereto, of an insulating supportmovable with said movable terminal, a fuse for bridging said terminalstoclose the circuit, and means whereby said fuse is detachably securedto said support to swing into and out of engagement with said movableterminal and to engage both terminals when said -support and said fuseare in circuit closing position.

5. In a controller for an electric circuit,

the combination with a stationary terminal, of a movable terminalpivoted adjacent thereto, an insulating support mounted on said movableterminal, and a fuse pivotally mounted on said support to swing intoland out of engagement with said movable terminal and to engage bothsaid terminals when in circuit closing position.

6. In a circuit controller, the combination with a fixed terminal, of amovableA switch member pivoted adjacent said terminal, a movableterminal mounted on said member, a fuse pivotally mounted onsaid memberand insulated from said movable terminal to swing into and out ofengagement with said movable terminal.

7. In a circuit controller, the combination with a fixed terminal, of amovable switch member comprising a pivoted terminal, an insulatingsupport mounted on said terminal, a fuse for engaging both terminalswhen said switch member is in circuit closing position, and meanswhereby said fuse is suspended on the outer end of said support to swinginto and out of engagement with said pivoted terminal.

8. In a circuit controller, the combination with a fixed terminal, of amovable switch member comprising a pivoted terminal, an insulatingsupport mounted on said terminal, a fuse for engaging both terminalswhen said switch member is in circuit closing position, and meanswhereby said fuse is detachably suspended from said support when out ofengagement with said movable terminal.

9. In a circuit controller, the combination with a fixed terminal, of amovable switch member comprising a pivoted terminal, an insulatingsupport provided with a fork and mounted on said pivoted terminal, and afuse arranged to engage both terminals when said switch member is incircuit closing position, said fuse being provided with a trunnion to tinto said fork, whereby said fuse is detachably suspended from saidfork.

10. The combination with a fixed terminal clip, of a pivoted cooperatingswitch member comprising a pivoted movable ter; minal clip, aninsulating support mounted on and movable with said movable terminalc'lip and having a forlnand a fuse having lcontacts at each end toengage said terminal clips and a trunnion between its ends to enter thefork on said support, whereby one of said fuse contacts may be swunginto and out of engagement with said movable terminal clip.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day ofFebruary, 1909.

WINFIELD A. ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFoRD.`

